A groundbreaking study published in 2025 has challenged the traditional understanding of insulin resistance. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet and Steno Diabetes Center, have discovered that insulin resistance exists on a spectrum, moving away from the conventional binary view of healthy versus diabetic.
The study, which involved proteomic analysis of muscle biopsies from over 120 participants, revealed unique molecular fingerprints that correlate with varying degrees of insulin resistance. These fingerprints showed that some individuals with type 2 diabetes exhibited better insulin responsiveness than some healthy individuals at the molecular level.
This discovery could revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes, enabling early detection and personalized preventive interventions. By tailoring treatments to a patient's specific molecular landscape, precision medicine approaches can improve efficacy and minimize side effects, offering hope for more effective management of type 2 diabetes worldwide.